Free and properly discontinuous actions of discrete groups on homotopy circles (Q891362)

In this paper the authors study groups with free, properly discontinuous and cellular actions on a finite-dimensional CW-complex \(\Sigma(1)\) that has the homotopy type of the circle, using somewhat different methods than those used for \(\Sigma(n)\) (a finite-dimensional CW-complex with the homotopy type of the \(n\)-sphere \(\mathbb{S}^n\)) with \(n>1\). They determine all virtually cyclic groups \(G\) that act on \(\Sigma(1)\) and they classify the orbit spaces \(\Sigma(1)/G\). Then, they study possible actions of semi-direct products \(\mathbb{Z}_n\rtimes F\) and \(F\rtimes\mathbb{Z}_n\) where \(F\) is a free group and free products with an amalgamated subgroup on \(\Sigma(1)\) and they show that the class of all groups acting on \(\Sigma(1)\) is closed with respect to free products. Finally the authors study possible actions of locally-cyclic groups consisting of subgroups of the rationals \(\mathbb{Q}\) and subgroups of the quotient \(\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}\) on \(\Sigma(1)\) and the corresponding orbit spaces.